Automatic railway-gate.



No. 654,085. Patented July l7, I900. C. H. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

(Application filed July 13, 1899.) (No Modei.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I,

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Patented luly I7, 1900.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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(Application filed m 1a, 1599 No Model.)

CIIARLEY HARVEY YOUNG, OF \VILKESON, W'ASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 654,085, dated July 17, 1900;

Application filed July 13,1399. Serial No. 723,651. on model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLEY HARVEY YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residingin Wilkeson, in the county of Pierce, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatically opening and closing gates or doors for railwaytracks, and has for its objects to provide certain improvements in the construction and operation of the same whereby they will be automatically and positively opened by the approach of a train from either direction, will be automatically locked in the open position during the passage of the train therebetween, and automatically released by the train after its passage therebetween to return to their closed position. These objects 1 accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a section of a railway-track having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse view of the track, showing the gates or doors in elevation. Fig. 1 is a detail elevation showing a portion of a car having an operating-plunger thereon in position to engage with the gate or door opening mechanism. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of said plunger. Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing a projection on the rear car of the train in position to en gage and operate the gate or door releasing mechanism. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of the shaft and sheaves for the door opening and operating cables. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one ofthe shafts for releasing the gate or door locking mechanism. 7

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 denotes aframework extending transversely over a railroad-track 2 and carrying transversely-sliding gates or doors 3, mounted in suitable hangers 4:, as shown. Mounted centrally in the top of said framework are two pulleys 5, over which extend cables 6, each connected at its inner end to one of the gates or doors 3 and extending parallel therewith to the outer end of the framework, where it passes over a pulley 7 and has connected thereto at its outer end a counterweight 8.

' Mounted on the outer end of each gate or door 3,about midway of its height, is a pulley 9, around which passes a cable 10,that in turn passes over pulleys 11 and 12 in the framework 1', then around pulleys 13, and is fas+ tened at its outer ends to sheaves l4,mounted on and rotatable with shafts 15, said shafts being located transversely beneath track 2 a short distance to each side of framework 1, it being observed that there is but one cable for each gate or door 3. The said shafts 15 have each a central sheave 16 fixed thereto, to which is attached a cable 17, adapted to be wound thereon, said cable being attached at its opposite end to a projection 18, adapted to slidelongitudinally in a slotted guideway 19, lying between the track-rails and formed at its inner end into an uprising rounded portion into which the projection 18 will disappear. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 7 that while cables 17 pass around their sheaves 16 from the under side cables 10 pass around their sheaves 14 from the top side, the result being that as shafts 15 are rotated by the unwinding of cables 17 the cables 10 will, on the contrary, be wound on sheaves 14. Also mounted transversely beneath the track 2, between one of shafts l5 and the framework 1, is a single shaft 20, (shown in detail in Fig. 8,) said shaft having mounted on its outer ends rock-arms 21, to each of which is pivoted the outer end of a rod 22, that terminates at its inner end in a locking-bolt 23, lying in the path of travel of one of the gates or doors 3, a spring 21 coiledaround said rod serving to project said locking-bolt into the path of travel of its gate or door. Also fixed on the shaft is a trip 25, having a downwardly-projecting tongue 26, adapted to contact with the upturned end of a rod 27, that 7 extends longitudinally of the track 2 and beneath and to the other side of framework 1, as seen in Fig. 2, a coiled spring 28 serving to exert a normal longitudinal tension 'on's'aid rod to the left. Mounted transversely beneath the track on the opposite side of the framework 1 is a shaft 29, carrying a trip 30, to which is pivoted one end of a connecting-link 31, that is pivoted at its other end to rod 27, as shown. 7

As a means for operating the mechanism for opening gates or doors 3 I preferably employ a plunger 32, carried by a casing 33, attached to the under side of the motor or front car of the train, as seen in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, said plunger being pressed downward by spring 3i, as shown. Mounted transversely in the under su rface of said plunger is a roller 35 for a purpose hereinafter to be explained.

As a means for operating the trips 25 and l 30 I employ a projection 36, fixed to the under side of the rear car of the train, as seen in Fig. 6.

From the above description the operation of my improved construction will be under stoodlto be as follows: The doors or gates 3 are normally retained in their closed position by the counterweights 8, acting through cables 6, andwhen a train approaches on. track 2for instance, from left to right-theplunger 32 will contact with and carry along projection. 18 on the left, thus unwinding cable 17 from drum 16, rotating shaft 15, and winding. cables 10 on their respective drums 14, the result being that said cables 10 are drawn to the left and the gates or doors 3 are drawn apart, so as to permit the passage of the train. As the adjacent edges of said gates or doors pass the locking-bolts 23 in this movement the latter will be automatically forced forward in their path, and thus lock the same in their open position. Meanwhile theipl'ojection 18 will reach and enter the uprising rounded portion of gnideway 19, with which the roller 35 of plunger 32 will contact, thus forcing said plunger upward against the tension of its spring 34 until said plunger passes over projection 19. The train having passed between gates or doors 3,- the projection 36 on the rear end thereof will have struck. and depressed trip 25, which, however, will have no eifect to retract locking-bolts 23 but when said projection strikes and depresses trip 30 the latter will, through link 31, draw rod 27 to the right and through the contact of its upturned end with the tongue 26 of trip 25 rotate shaft 20, so as to retract lockingwbolts 23 through cranks 21 and rods 22, and thus release the gates or doors 3, thus permitting them to be returned to their closed position through the action of counterweights 8. When a train approaches from right to left, the operation of automatically opening the gates or doors is accomplished through plunger 32, right-hand projection l8, and cables 10 in the manner hereinbefore described, and the locking-bolts 23 will also operate in a similar manner to retain the same open; but, as will be seen from Fig; 2, the rocking of trip 30 by projection 36lonthe rear end of the train will not retract said locking-bolts, asthe rod 27 will be moved to the left. When, however, projectrain has passed between the gatesor doors, the shaft 20 will be so. rocked as to retract bolts 23 and release said gates or doors.

It will be observed that the top sides of the projections 18 nearest the gates or doors 3 are rounded to permit the passage thereover of the plunger 32 after the train. has passed between said gates or doors without moving said projections.

Having thus described myinvention, what .I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with two gates or doors movable toward and from each other trans- .versely of a railway track, and counterweights for normally keeping the same closed, of a single cable for each gate or door adapted to be. automatically operated by a. passing train from either side to open. said gates or doors, independent means for. automatically retaining said gates or doors open duringthe passage of the train therebetween, and means operated by said train for automatically re leasing said gates or doors after the train has passed therebetween, thus permitting their return to the closed positionthrough the said counterweights.

2. The combination withtwo gates or doors movable toward and from eachother trans jversely of a railway-track, and counter weights for normally keeping the same closed, of a cable running fromeach of. said gates or doors to sheavesonshafts located transversely of the track to eachsideof said gates or doors, projections longitudinally" movable between thetrack-rails adapted to be engaged and moved. by thetrain asit approaches the gates or doors from either di rection, and cables connecting said projece tions with sheaves on the said shaftsand so arranged that the movement of said projecversely of a. railway track, counterweights- .for normally keeping thesame closed, a: pro-- jection longitu dinally' movable between the track-rails adapted to be engaged and moved :by a plunger on the train asitapproa-ches-l jthe gates or doors, and connections between ,said projection and the gates or doors where- Sby the movement of the former will separate {the latter of meansfordisen 'a 'in 'said luna c: a a ger and pro ectlon whenthe gates or doors are opened.

, 4. The combination with two gates or doors imovable toward and from each other trans-- versely of a railway track, counterweights lfor normally keeping the same closed, a projection longitudinally movable between the track-rails adapted to be engaged and. moved.

gby a plunger on the train as it approaches fthe gatesor doors, and connections'between }said projection and the gates or doors whereby the movement of the'former will separate the latter, of a slotted guideway in Which said plunger moves having an uprising rounded portion at its end nearest the gates or doors over which the plunger will ride to disengage it from said projection when the latter has been moved sufficiently to open the gates or doors.

5. The combination with two gates or doors movable toward and from each other trans- Versely of a railway-track, counterweights for normally keeping the same closed, and means operated by an approaching train for automatically opening the same, of lockingbolts adapted to automatically engage said gates or doors when opened to retain them in this position, and means operated by the train after its passage between said gates or doors for retracting said locking-bolts and permitting the gates or doors to be returned to their closed position;

6. The combination with two gates or doors movable toward and from each other transversely of a railway-track, counterweights for normally keeping the same closed, and

means operated by an approaching train for of the track, trips on said shafts operated by the train in its passage to rotate said shafts, and connections between said shafts and the locking-bolts whereby the rotation of the shaft on the departure side only of the train will retract said bolts and permit the gates or doors to be returned to their closed position;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

OHARLEY HARVEY YOUNG;

Witnesses:

JAMES MoNEn'LY, J i F. J oNEs. 

